The field of the invention is electrical fixtures, and especially the overhead mounting of lighting fixtures, fans, and the like.
The installation of a conventional ceiling fan or pendant ceiling lamp is a difficult task for a single installer. To install a conventional ceiling fan, the fan is lifted to just below an electrical junction box set into the ceiling, and is held there while connecting the fan wires to the electrical supply wires. After the electrical connection is finished, the fan is lifted further to place the fan bell over the junction box and held in that position while the fan is attached to the box or a ceiling hanger in some manner, typically with screws or bolts. The combined operation takes several minutes and usually requires two persons, one to lift and hold the fan and the other to make the wire and screw connections.
Quick connect devices have previously been proposed with which a single person can more easily install a ceiling fan. In particular, the present inventor has previously proposed various forms of quick connect device in which a cover plate is mechanically and electrically connected to a ceiling box. The cover plate and a connector attached to the fan are provided with plug-and-receptacle or similar electrical connectors, and with mechanical supports, intended to engage under rotation or sliding motion. The fan is then connected to the cover plate by lifting and sliding it, or lifting and rotating it. The fan is typically secured in place by set screws passing through parts of the cover plate and connector. However, it is conceivable that the set screws might become unscrewed, and that the connector might then rotate or slide far enough that the fan or other fixture becomes detached from the ceiling. This is, of course, an especial concern when a fan rotating about a vertical axis is mounted using a quick-mount fixture that is engaged by rotation about the same axis.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an additional safeguard against the inadvertent disengagement of a quick connect device for hanging fans, lighting fixtures, and the like.
The current invention is a quick connect device for hanging fans, lighting fixtures, and the like. A connector is provided between the ceiling box and the electrical fixture that takes the weight of the fixture as it is inserted, which can be done by one person. The electrical connections are established by contacts on surfaces of the connector through which part of the weight of the fixture is transmitted to the ceiling box. The contacts project from one surface, and are recessed into the other. Thus, the electrical supply to the fixture is not established until the connector is correctly engaged, and the connector cannot be disengaged except by lifting the fixture to separate the projecting contacts from the recessed ones. Set screws may also be inserted to prevent disengagement of the connector. A fan bell or canopy may also be raised into position covering and the connector, and may provide a further level of security. The installer never needs to support the weight of the ceiling fixture while working on screw or wire connections.
One aspect of the invention provides a quick connect device for suspended electrical devices, comprising first and second support members. A first support member is adapted to be attached to and support an electrical device, and a second support member is adapted to be attached to and supported by an electrical ceiling box. The first support member has downwardly-facing load bearing surfaces evenly spaced around its periphery that, when the device is installed, rest on corresponding upwardly-facing load bearing surfaces on the second support member to transmit the weight of the device to the ceiling box. The load bearing surfaces are open at one end, permitting the load bearing surfaces on the first support member to be raised past those on the second support member and then rotated into alignment with them. Electrical contacts project from the load bearing surfaces on the first support member, and corresponding electrical contacts are recessed into the load bearing surfaces on the second support member, so that when the support members are correctly aligned the projecting electrical contacts drop into the recesses and establish electrical continuity from the electrical ceiling box to the fixture. The recesses are so shaped that the first support member, with the weight of the fixture attached, must be lifted vertically before the support surfaces can be rotated out of alignment.
As can be seen from the description and figures contained herein, hanging a fan or lighting fixture, particularly a heavy one, can be rendered a simple task using the quick connect device of this application.